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Our Favorite Natural Face Serums that are Also Sustainable!
A solid face serum can soothe inflammation, protect from the sun, and provide quick-absorbing moisture. But like any skincare products, not all serums are created equal. Here, we share what to look for in an effective, eco-friendly serum, what kind of results to expect, and 10 of the best sustainable serums to try.
How to Choose a Sustainable Serum
A face serum is a topical liquid treatment that delivers active ingredients directly to the skin. They’re designed to be used right after cleansing and before moisturizing (a face lotion can help seal in the serum, making it more effective).
Since serums are water-based, they’re much lighter than the average moisturizer. This results in faster absorption and a more potent delivery of the serum’s ingredients. Since serums can help treat a range of skin concerns, it’s a good idea to get clear on what your goals are for using a serum.
Brightening
Whether it’s lightening up dark marks or boosting overall appearance, brightening serums include Vitamin C, plus hydroxy acids and other ingredients to make your skin glow.
Hydrating
All types of skin can benefit from a hydrating serum, which provides an extra boost of moisture for dry skin. Hydrating serums may include ingredients like aloe vera or hyaluronic acid.
Anti-Aging
Loss of skin elasticity is normal over time, but ingredients like retinoids, peptides, hydroxy acids, and Vitamin C foster collagen formation and promote healthy-looking skin.
Soothing
Inflammation, redness, and acne are all soothed by niacinamide and ceramides. Soothing serums help calm the skin and restore its natural radiance.
Protecting
Sun and pollution don’t stand a chance with an antioxidant serum. These serums might include ingredients like Vitamin C and Vitamin E, though the former can be slightly irritating for sensitive skin. Niacinamide and retinoids also protect your skin from free radicals.
Clarifying
Salicylic acid, zinc, and willow bark are a few ingredients found in clarifying serums, which minimize pores, fight breakouts, and reduce inflammation for clearer skin.
Now, 11 Face Serums worth the hype:
1. Activist Skincare, Calming Force Clear Skin Serum, $64
Ingredients: Niacinamide, licorice root extract, salicylic acid, MSM, panthenol, and hyaluronic acid.
Why we like it: Inflammation is at the root of most skin problems, and this serum is inflammation’s worst enemy.
With impressive active ingredients including 5% niacinamide, this hydration serum wards off premature aging, fights blemishes, calms redness, and prevents and reduces dark spots including sun damage and hyperpigmentation.
We love that it’s packaged in glass and super-convenient to get a refill. Activist’s refill pouches come in the mail and reduce CO2 emissions by 99% and plastic waste by 75% compared to recycling. You can subscribe to refills to save 15% and get free shipping on each order.
It’s also vegan and cruelty free, and 1% of all profits go toward environmental non-profit organizations through their 1% For the Planet membership.
use code SUSTAINABLYCHIC for 15% off your purchase
2. Oil Divine, Age-Delay Lifting Serum, $135
Ingredients: Baobab Oil, Argan Oil, Apricot Kernel Oil, Cranberry Seed Oil, Wheat Germ Oil, Borage Oil, Chia Seed Oil, & more
Why we like it: It's rich in vitamins, organic acids, and amino acids, supporting natural skin cell renewal and strengthening the skin's natural barrier. It's also made right here in the US. Oil Divine is a skincare brand focusing only on vegan, clean, organic, and cruelty-free products.
All products are made of high-quality bioactive ingredients sustainably sourced from wild plants or organic farming. The company minimized the use of plastic and only chose highly recyclable packaging like glass and FSC cardboard packaging.
3. Ethique, Saving Face Serum, $30.00
Ingredients: shea, kokum, and cupuacu butters; rosehip and pomegranate oils, antioxidants, phytosterols, polyphenols, fatty acids and more.
Why we like it: Saving Face Serum delivers on its name, helping boost moisture not only for your face, but also for your lips and cuticles.
This all-in-one serum goes a long way, which makes it a great investment, too.
Ethique is known for being a sustainability-first brand, with its compostable packaging and carbon neutral operations. They also plant one tree for every order, which only adds to the positive impact of avoiding plastic (and saving water in the process). Lastly, saving face serum is made with rosehip oil, which is an all-around skin saver that smells naturally great.
4. Cocokind, Ceramide Barrier Serum, $20
Ingredients: Aloe barbadensis leaf juice, ceramide NP, calcium gluconate, ceramide NS, ceramide AP, ceramide EOS, ceramide EOP, lactic acid, and squalane, among others
Why we like it: Ceramides are lipids designed to restore the skin’s natural functioning, and they’re great for protecting against dehydration and general irritation.
Cocokind’s Ceramide Barrier Serum has five of these moisture-boosting ceramides, plus lipids that quickly make your skin feel soft, replenished and healthy. Since this formula is easily absorbed, it’s a great everyday serum for underneath makeup. We also love that Cocokind is so transparent about the sustainability facts of each product. This serum, for example, was made with ethical labor in Vermont and has a flint glass bottle that’s 100% recyclable.
5. The Ordinary, Buffet + Copper Peptides 1%, $30.90
Ingredients: Lactococcus Ferment Lysate, Copper Tripeptide-1, Alanine, Serine, Valine, Isoleucine, Proline, Threonine, Histidine, Phenylalanine, Arginine, among others.
Why we like it: The Ordinary has a cult following, and with this serum, it’s easy to see why. This product is called a “buffet” because it’s like a feast for your skin. The Copper Peptides are naturally found in human plasma, and they support a wide range of normal skin function.
As a result, they support collagen synthesis, fibroblast production, and anti-inflammatory responses, all while boosting immune function. This serum is meant to be applied to the entire face, both in the morning and at night, after cleansing, to see the best results.
6. Grace & Stella, Hyaluronic Acid Serum, $30
Ingredients: Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer,Ahnfeltia Concinna Extract, Panthenol, Glycerin
Why We Like It: It's like water for your skin! This serum helps efficacy of moisturizing creams, alleviating dryness and reducing the appearance of fine lines for glass-like, brighter skin.
In addition, it contains ingredients that promote cell regeneration, which is crucial for dark spots, dark circles, and hyperpigmentation problems.
Grace & Stella specializes in vegan and cruelty-free beauty products with no sulfates or parabens.
use code CHIC for 10% off your purchase
7. Mad Hippie, Vitamin C Serum, $33.99
Ingredients: Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Ferulic acid, Konjac Root, Hyaluronic Acid, Chamomile Extract Clary Sage
Why we like it: Mad Hippie is known for making some of the most natural, effective, and eco-friendly skincare products out there. Proceeds from every purchase support a charity, including those doing good for the environment.
Their Vitamin C Serum reduces wrinkles and discoloration and makes the skin look more plump and energized. Instead of using the Vitamin C extracts traditionally used in skincare, Mad Hippie’s serum uses an antioxidant-rich derivative called sodium ascorbyl phosphate (SAP), which is more stable and suited for acne-prone skin. This serum has a light, gentle aroma that’s natural, not overbearing.
8. Herbivore Botanicals, NOVA 15% Vitamin C + Turmeric Brightening Serum, $64.00
Ingredients: 15% THD Vitamin C, Turmeric, Arbutin, among others
Why we like it: Herbivore Botanicals puts sustainability at the center.
They focus on avoiding synthetic ingredients, using glass and paper instead of plastic, and using plastic only when necessary.
The NOVA 15% Vitamin C + Turmeric Brightening Serum is a potent vegan product that leaves the skin brighter and more balanced. Gentle, yet powerful, we love that this serum is proven to have a visible difference in just one week. This serum also keeps breakouts at bay and reduces irritation. Plus, it's made without synthetic fragrances, but maintains a light ginger smell that’s fresh and zingy.
9. Maya Chia, The Super Couple, Ultra Luxe Face Oil Serum, $86.00
Ingredients: Supercritical Chia Seed Oil, Haematococcus Pluvialis Algal Extract, Frankincense Essential Oil, Myrrh Essential Oil, Patchouli Essential Oil, among others.
Why we like it: This serum has a cult following and is known to improve skin texture in just a few days. The Super Couple is packed with chia, which is a superfood that helps bring moisture to the skin naturally. It also has fatty acids, antioxidants, and minerals that nourish the skin while improving appearance and texture.
Lastly, Astaxanthin is an anti-aging powerhouse that combats the appearance of dull, tired, aging skin.
10. The Organic Skin Co, The Good Oil $34.95
Ingredients: Turmeric, Calendula, Honeysuckle, Rosemary, Jojoba Seed, Almond Seed, Apricot Seed, Sunflower Seed.
Why We Like It: The Good Oil is made with supercritical CO2 extraction technology.
This makes the extracts more whole and pure.
It also helps calm the skin and maintain pH balance and is infused with natural antioxidants.
The face oil also comes sustainably packaged in a compostable eco-pulp box, 100% recyclable and upcyclable glass container, & biodegradable bamboo lid. Plus, it smells SO good!
11. Marie Veronique, Gentle Retinol Serum, $110
Ingredients: Retinol, L-Ascorbic Acid, Photoaging Repair Complex, Sodium Salicylate, Ceramide complex, Coenzyme, among others.
Why we like it: Marie Veronique is a small-batch skincare brand focused on skin health and healing, and their team of expert chemists and dermatologists know how to create the ideal formulas for all-around skin health. While retinoids can be harsh on the skin—especially when used daily or in summertime on sensitive skin—this retinol is specifically formulated to be gentle.
This product helps clear pores to prevent breakouts, but it also speeds up cell turnover to smooth fine lines and wrinkles. This is a night-only cream, so it should be paired with another daytime serum.
12. KORA Organics, Noni Bright Vitamin C, $68
Ingredients: Vitamin C Superfruit Complex, Olive Leaf Extract, Red Pepper, Organic Kakadu Plum, Acerola Cherry, among others.
Why we like it: This serum contains the most stable form of Vitamin C, meaning it has the most powerful impact on your skin. You can use it daily, since it’s gentle enough for all skin types, and it adds a bright, glowing appearance to your face. Kora has the statistics to prove this product’s impact, too.
For one, 80% of people reported brighter, more radiant, and more toned skin. Additionally, 90% of people said their skin was visibly smoother. This product is also cruelty-free, climate-neutral, and made without artificial colors or fragrances.
13. Biossance, Squalane + Vitamin C Dark Spot Serum, $62
Ingredients: Squalane, White Shiitake Mushrooms
Why we like it: Cruelty-free and made without parabens and other harmful or toxic ingredients, Biossance is one of the best skincare companies on the market today.
This serum is designed to brighten while helping fake dark spots from acne scars and hyperpigmentations.
While traditional Vitamin C serums can be irritating to the skin, this one is specifically designed to be soothing. In addition to helping fade dark spots right away, this serum works to prevent the development of dark spots over time. That’s thanks to the white shiitake mushrooms, which have naturally-occurring compounds that fight discoloration.
14. Blue Lagoon, BL+ The Serum, $180
Ingredients: BL+ Complex, made with microalgae and silica, Blue Lagoon Seawater, Vitamin C, Three Hyaluronic Acids, and more.
Why we like it: Improve your skin health and appearance over time with Blue Lagoon BL+ The Serum. With active ingredients that hydrate, promote collagen growth and ward off environmental threats like UV rays and pollution, this is a powerhouse serum that strengthens and firms your skin.
One reason we love it is because it’s oil free, but it also is extremely lightweight and blendable. Lastly, it works for all skin types and won’t irritate skin (thanks to being non-comedogenic and fragrance-free). All ingredients are traceable.
About the Author:
Michelle Polizzi is an independent writer and storyteller with 7 years of experience creating content online. Her writing has appeared in leading publications like Bitch, WELL+GOOD, Insider, and Healthline, and she covers topics like sustainable living, mental health, and intersectional feminism. Currently, she's pursuing an MFA in creative writing.
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